summers



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

L. P. SUMMERS.

GRAIN BAG FILLER, WEIGHER, AND REGISTER.

Patented Nov. 17, 1-885.

euwm k a INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. PUERS. PhrnoA.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

Patented-Nov. 1'7, 1885.

L. P. SUMMERS.

GRAIN BAG FILLER, WEIGHER, AND REGISTER.

(No Model.)

IN'VENTOR: 475.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES zazaww L/D' LI D TAM #544 N, PETERS, Phowmm u ner. Wishmglmv. a c.

UNITED STATES LEWIS PRESTON SUMMERS,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF PECULIAR, MISSOURI.

GRAIN-BAG FILLER, WEIGHER, AND REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent; No. 330,856, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed March 30, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwIs PREsToN SUM- MERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peculiar, in the county of Cass and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Bag Fillers, Weighers, and Registers, of which the following is a description.

My invention consists in a construction and combination of parts for regulating the discharge of grain from a hopper or reservoir into bags and weighing the latter when filled and registering the weight thus ascertained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my invention arranged on top of a thrashing-machine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the main part. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the valve-closing mechanism, showing the weight and valvecloser in the act of shifting from right to left on the trip-rod. Fig. 4 is a side view of the spring-and-lever mechanism for shifting the valve-closer from right to left. Fig. 5 represents a modification of the valve-closer; also a windguard attachment of the hopperdischarge tubes.

The grain which is to be bagged and weighed is carried up tube A, and discharged into the reservoir or hopper B by means of a suctionblast. The latter is created by the fan 0, which is applied to the tube D, that connects with said hopper on the opposite side from tube A. The hopper B has two dischargetubes, E E, pendent vertically from its bot- 35 tom, which are always filled with grain during the operation of the machine, but whose discharge is intermittent and alternate. The lower ends of these tubes are cut off obliquely, and normally closed by flat valves F F, which are hinged to the outer side of the tubes.

The means (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) for holding the valves closed are curved plate-springs G G, which press them upward, and are secured at their outer ends by an adjustable screw clamp, H, Fig. 1, that permits their tension to be regulated at will, as required by the kind or condition of the grain. To each valve is hinged a bail, I, which connects loosely with one of the upwardly-curved arms of a bar, J, that vibrates intermittingly in a vertical plane, and which, for convenience of 7 Serial No. 160,699. (No model.)

description, I will hereinafter term the valvecloser. It is attached to a sleeve, K, Figs. 1 and 3, that turns freely on an oscillating trip-rod, L, whose function will be presently explained. The same sleeve has a notched or cam-shaped head, a, Fig. 3, which is intermittingly engaged by afinger or projection, b, of a collar, 0, secured to and oscillating with the trip-rod L. To the sleeve K is also affixed a weight, M, which of course partakes of the vibration of the sleeve and valvecloser J, and whose office is to hold the latter temporarily fixed in either of the two inclined positions it is adapted toassume. To assist in holding the weight M in such positionor, rather, to supplement the effect of its own gravityI provide two friction plate-springs, N, which are attached to the bottom of the hopper B and curved in such manner that their free ends will come in contact with and press with considerable force on the outer end of the weight M when it reaches either limit of its lateral vibratory movement.

The bags to be filled with grain are attached to and supported by a suitable apparatus, P, the details of whose construction have been made the subject of a separate application for patent. The aforesaid trip-rod L is journaled horizontally in suitable hangers, and bent downward at one end, the other being rigidly connected to a shifting device, 0. The bent end engages a catch-rod, Q, which is attached to the beam R of the platform-scale S. Vhen the beam tilts, the rod Q is drawn downward and disengages the trip-rod L, thus allowing the device 0 to throw the weight M and valvecloser J, as will be presently explained.

The shifting device 0 is fully shown in Fig. 4. It consists of the following parts: a lever, d, pivoted at e, a counter-lever, f, which is also pivoted and attached to the squared end of trip-rod L, two rods, 9 9, that are pivoted to the counter-lever f, two guides or apertured plates, h h, secured one on each side of the center of lever d, and two spiral springs, z 6, each encircling one of the rods 9 g. The hand-lever d is shifted vertically, and is locked at the limit of its movement by engaging in a notch in a curved bar, Z, affixed to the side of the hopper B.

The above-described shifting mechanism is IOO arranged within the case that incloses the registering apparatus T. I do n ot describe the construction and operation of the latter, since many known forms may be employed, it being only necessary that the shifting mechanism shall be properly connected with it, so that it shall move and register every time a bag is filled.

I connect the registering apparatus with the afore-described shifting mechanism by a rod, U, Fig. 4, which is pivoted to the hand-lever d.

I will now describe the operation of my invention as a whole. I will assumethelever cl is set oblique, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4, in which case the right-hand spring, t,will be compressed, the counter lever f remaining horizontal. The trip-rod L is engaged with the rod Q, connected with the scale-beam It. It therefore presses against this rod Q with a force proportionate to the compression of the spring t". The valve-closer J and weight M are in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1. The left-hand valve, F, is thereby held closed, and

the right-hand valve, F, left open or free to open. Now,the fan 0 being set in motion, the

grain is elevated from boX X through tube A into hopper B, and the chaff, &c., carried off by tube 1). The grain fills both tubes E E, and so soon as its superineumbent weight is suflicient to overcome the tension of the spring G, that supports the rig11t-handvalve,F, the latter opens and allows the grain to discharge into the bag (not shown) suspended beneath. The flow of grain continues until the bag is nearly full, when its weight depresses the scaleplatform S, on which the bag rests, thereby tilting the scale-beam It, drawing down the catch-rod Q, and allowing the trip-rod L to rotate a part of a revolution-that is to say, until the counter-lever f strikes the right-hand stop, m, Fig. 4i-when it is arrested. This movement also shifts the weight M andvalvecloser J, so that the latter, by tension on the right-hand bail, I, closes the valve F and leaves the left-hand valve, F, free, to open, which it instantly docs under the pressure of the grain in the hopper. Then, while the bag already filled is being removed and an empty one substituted, the bag before attached on the left side of the holder P is being filled, and, when this has been done, the shifting operation before described is repeated.

I show in Fig. 5 a mechanism that may be employed in place or" the valve-closer J and weight M, before described. It consists of two pivoted valves, F F, having bent pivoted weighted arms V V and a shifting-lever or valve-closer, J, that has forked ends, to alternately engage said valve-arms V V, for holding the valves closed. This lever J is rigidly connected with the trip-rod L. In this instance the oblique angles of the ends of the hoppertubes E Eare reversed, the same being inward instead of outward, as in Fig. l.

It is obvious that the vibration of the device J will alternately open the valves, and

that the weights on their arms will close them again as soon as released.

To each of the fixed hopper-discharge tubes E E, I apply a tube, \V, Fig. 5, which incloses it and is adapted to slide vertically thereon. The function of such adjustable tube is to act as a wind-guard-that is to say, to guide the grain into the bag and prevent the wind from blowing it so as to scatter it outside the bag. Such tube constitutes, practically, an adjustable extension of the hoppertube to which it is applied, the adj ustability being necessary to enable it to be raised and lowered, according to the length of bag employed.

To hold the tube fixed in any adjustment, I

apply a friction-spring and screw to clamp it and the fixed tube.

My invention is adapted for use 1n various locations, but I propose to apply it to a thrashing-machine, as illustrated in Fig. lthat is to say, the tube extends down to the grainspout, and the remainder of the apparatus is placed on the top of the thrasher. To adapt the latter to pass under barn doorways, bridges, and other low structures, I hinge the tubes A and D; also the standard of the bagholder. Thus the whole apparatus may be laid down in horizontal position.

' Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of a hopper, discharg ing-tubes, valves hinged thereto, a vibrating device for alternately releasing and forcibly closing the valves, a vibrating trip-rod, a weighing-seale,and catch-rod that is connected with it and arranged to disengage said triprod when the scale operates, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of hopper discharging tubes, valves hinged thereto, a weighted vibrating device for alternately releasing and forcibly closing the latter, the trip-rodL,ha-ving one end bent downward, a catch-rod for alternately engaging and disengaging the latter, a weighing-scale to which the catch-rod is attached, and a spring shifting device which actuates the trip-rod, and whose spring is compressed to set the latter,substantially as speciiied.

3. The combination of the hopper discharge tubes, valves hinged thereto, bailsconnected with the valves, a valve-closer consisting of a bar having curved arms, and a weight rigidly connected with said valve-closer, as

shown and described, whereby when the lat ICC) 5. The combination of the hopper discharge tubes, valves hinged thereto, bails connected with the valves, a valve-closer consisting of a bar having curved arms, a weight rigidly connected with said valve-closer, as shown and described, the vibrating trip-rod, the rotatable sleeve having a notched head and carrying the aforesaid valve-closer and weight, the collar fiXed on trip-rod and having a pro- 10 jection that engages the head of the sleeve, a

spring-actuated device for acting on the triprod, a catch-rod for engaging the latter,and a Weighingscale to which the catch-rod is applied, all as shown and described.

6. The shifting device consisting of a pivoted lever and counter-lever f, rods pivoted to the latter and working in guides affixed to the former, springs encircling the pivoted rods, and means for interinittingly looking and unlocking said counter-lever, all arranged substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the vertical hopper-discharge tube, of the adj ustablc windguard XV and a clamp-screw for securing the latter in any adjustment, as shown and de scribed.

The above specification of my invention signed by me in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LElVIS PRESTON SUMMERS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. PETTIT, Amos W. HART. 

